Rain-triggered farm produce price rise continues: MOC

 BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's farm produce prices continued to rise last week in the wake of strong rainfall across the country, the Ministry¹ of Commerce (MOC) said Wednesday.

The wholesale² prices of 18 types of vegetables in 36 cities rose for the third consecutive³ week, jumping 5.7 percent week on week, with the prices of lettuce⁴, cabbage and cucumber up 30.3 percent, 18.8 percent and 17.9 percent, respectively, according to the MOC.

Last week, the retail⁵ price of eggs rose 0.6 percent from a week earlier, but remained down 5.4 percent from the same period last year.

The price of pork, a staple⁶ meat in China, dropped 0.4 percent from a week earlier, the ministry said.

Prices of beef, lamb and chicken were up 0.7 percent, 0.4 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively, said the ministry.

Food prices account for nearly one-third of the prices used to calculate China's consumer price index (CPI), which eased to 2.2 percent in June, its lowest level since January 2010.

The National Bureau of Statistics is scheduled to release its July CPI data on Thursday.

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

3 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

4 lettuce   

n.莴苣；生菜

参考例句：

• Get some lettuce and tomatoes so I can make a salad.买些莴苣和西红柿，我好做色拉。
• The lettuce is crisp and cold.莴苣松脆爽口。

5 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

6 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。